Paper carpet.



e. H. DAVIS. PAPER GABPET.

APPLIU-ATION FILED FEB. 24, 1911.

Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

2 SHEETB-BHEET'L Mmmu? UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

GEORGE H. DAVIS, 0F PORTLAND, MAINFL'ASSIGNOR TO E. T. BURROWES, OF

PdRTLAND, MAINE.

PAPER CARPET.

Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

Serial No. 610,646.

T o all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. DAVIS, a citizen ofv the United States,residing at Portland, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paper Carpets, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in the art of floor coverings,and has for vits primary object the provision of what. may be properlystyled a paper carpet, which, owing to its lefficiency and the cheapnesswith which the same ma be manufactured and sold may fill a longeltwantor enter a field of service not heretofore contemplated infloorcoverings, and may also, to a con,y

siderable extent, supplant the ordinary linoleums, oil-cloths, strawmattings,l and in fact the cheaper grades of cloth carpet. v

It is .universally recognized tha-t there exist innumerable instanceswhere it is desirable to have a neat anddurable floor covering, butwhere the expense of the usual coverings is not justifiedf-for example,spare rooms not subjected to very hard usage, and it is equallywell-known that the comparatively expensive ordinary floor coverings,is, 1n many cases, notably among the poorer classes, prohibitive oftheir use. It is with a view of meeting these exigencies that thepresent invention has been devised.

I am aware that it has been attempted to provide a suitable floorcovering 'of various superposed and connected layers of fabric such ascloth and paper, specially impregnated or treated by an oilypreservative or strengthening composition, but such acomposite structureis also relatively expensive as compared to the present invention anddoes.

not embrace the idea, as embodied herein, of providing a carpetcomposedy substantially of paper alone or vin itself of such density andthickness to render the same useful and practical for the purposesenti-A tled.

With all of the foregoing considerations in mind, the presentimprovements may be defined as embracing a carpet, the body portion ofwhich is constituted by paper of the density and thickness referred to,lprovided with stiii'ening or reinforcing means en-l abling the same tobe securely tacked inI place to restrict the possible tendency of thepaper to tear away from its fastenings, and the same possessing asinherent or as auxillary features, means for maintaining the strips 1nstraight or true condition which might otherwise arise from undueshrinkage, warping, etc.

The invention also includes the provision4 of the paper body with meansadapted to reinforce margins or edges alongv severed lines, said meansaffording a guide to direct the severing operation and constituting aprotection against the pulling of the heads of tacks through the paperand thus releas. mg the, carpet from the licor; or the means re erred tomay, in unsevered condition constitute intermediate points for tackingthe carpet to the floor, in addition to tacking the usual margins of thestrips.

- More specifically the invention contemplates a carpet strip having itsedges reinforced by narrow strong strips of fabric such las muslin,andintermediate strips as desired, constituting tacking portions, andWhich strips may preferably be in the na ture of tape having selvageedges to prevent raveling and distortion. Also a carpet comprisingjuxtaposed strips 4having marginal reinforced portions, the latter beingarranged to underlie the juncture between the adjoining edges o f stripsto serve as an effectual barrier against the entrance of dust or gritty.substances beneath the carpet between the same and the floor.

All ofthe foregoing and other features of my present invention will beapparent from the specific description hereof hereinafter contained whenread in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereofand wherein several preferred and convenient embodiments of theinvention are illustrated.

In the drawings: Figure: 1 is a plan view of what I may term a widestrip of paper carpet made in accordance with the'invention, Fig. 2 is aview of the under side of the same, Fig. 3 is a sectional view on theline 1-l of Fig- 1, Fig. 4 is a similar view y on the line 2-2 of Fig.2, Fig. 5 is lan elevation showing the wide strip of Fig. 2 severedlongitudinally along the dotted line indicated in Fig. 2 to constituterelatively narrow or what are 'known as the ordinary width strips, Flg.6 is a plan view of still.

another embodiment of the invention. 7 is a perspective view of severalstrips, like shown in Fig. 1,'in assembled condition, and tacked to thefloor.

Referring more specifically. to the drawings whereinlikereference.characters designate corresponding parts l in the severalviews, and first with reference to the rst four figures of the drawing,A represents a strip of carpet, in this instance of double width, thesame being formed of substan-` tial thickness and density capable initself of withstanding the wear to. which the same is subjected, theunder sideof which may be left plain or printed if desired torepresentcloth or burlap. The upper or exposed surface of the paper isprinted in keeping with the use for which the carpet is designed, suchprinting being preferably in bright fancy colors ofl any suitablematerial, not oily in its nature, presenting a durable tough surfaceoverlying and protecting the fiber of the paper, subsequently varnished,and nally buffed down to subdue or modify the luster of the resultantproduct. One or both margins of the strip and the ends thereof areprovided with an underlying reinforcing narrow strip of fabric such asmuslin, preferably in the nature of selvageedged tape B, secured in anydesired manner to the under surface of the paper, as by pasting, andprojecting for about half of its width beyond the edge of t-he paper tounderlie an adjoining strip of carpet as will be obvious. This selvageedge tape assists in preserving the paper strip in proper condition forservice, while preventing undue warping or curiing of the edges thereof,and also acts as a tacking strip through which the tacks may be passedand prevented thereby from pulling throughy the paper and freeing thepaper Ias would be the case were the tacks passed through the paperalone. The tape 1s of thin or inconsequential thickness, tough andstrong, capable of performing its stated function of enabling securefastening of the carpet to the oor. B utilizing the selvage edge Iobtain the a ditional advantage that ravelings inherent in raw-edgedfabric such as muslinreferred to, cannot escape u wardly through the sace intermediate adjoining strips and ren er the carpet as a wholeunsightlyl in that particular. g

The protruding portions of the tape may be provided with a gummed uppersurface,

if desired, for the purpose of adhering to the meeting edge o anadjoining strip.

As distinguished from underlying an adjoining carpet strip, theprojecting portions of the tape may be folded over the top of .the stripto which the same is attached constituting a binding which might befound desirable, for inst-ance where the edge of the strip in questionimmediately adjoins the wall.

Wherever found expedient, intermediate fabric strips or t-ape may besecured to the rangement found practical, but herein I have illustratedbut one of these intermediate strips D utilized in connection with thedouble width strip of Fig. l running longitudinally thereof at thecenter of the strip A and of suitable width to constitute a reinforcedtack line when the strip is used asa-unit'or to be severed along thedotted line .frto constitute the two narrow strips (Fig. 5), eachmarginally reinforced for 'rackingl purposes,` etc. This intermediatestrip D, or 1n fact all of the reinforcing strips if necessary may betrans- `versely slitted, as at g to enable the structure to accommodateitself to any relative differential shrinkage or expansion of the paperand muslin strip or tape.

A characteristic feature of advantage presented' by the intermediatestrip D is that the same being in itself of narrow width and at thecenter of the paper strip or body A may constitute a sufficient guidefor properly severing the double strip into the narrower strips as abovedefined, so that the purchaser may at will use the double strip eitheras a unit or in the severed condition, while the manufacturer is enabledto economically produce the product in the relatively large or sheetformation.

If desired. several thicknesses of the muslin reinforcing strips may beutilized to prevent' stretching and maintaining the shape of the carpetand to enable the carpet to withstand the pulling action on the securingtacks, while throughout the entire mar-- ginal edges of the carpet suchedges will "be preserved against any fracture or breakage which mightbeincident to a tripping or kicking action of the foot. The ta e will alsoserve to hold the painted sur ace of the carpet out of contact for aconsiderable extent when. rolled for shipping, storage or compactness.

I have. illustrated in perspective in Fig. 7 one manner of applying thecarpet strip of Fig. 1 to a floor. Here A represents the separateparallel paper strips; B the tapes underlying the meeting edges ofadjacent strips through which the tacks E assing through said edges areengaged; an D are the intermediate strips through which the central lineof tacks F are passed.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated a form of strip wherein the projectingportion of the tape is coated with an adhering substance G adapted to beengaged by the moistefned edge of an adjacent strip to stick the twotogether. The end tapes C are adapted to protect the ends of the stripsthe same as 0 under surface of the paper body in such ar-7 the marginalstrips BB and may be there' strip formed wholly of paper of substan tialthickness to render the same durable, the same being decorated on itsobverse surface, and a' narrow reinforcing stiifening strip ofsuitablefabric at the edge of the body constituting with said edge a rigidabutting margin of substantial strength, the reinforcing stifening stripprojecting outwardly beyond the edge of the b'o and the major portion ofthe paper body. 4strip throughout the extent thereof beigjfdevoid ofsupplemental stiffening material to permit relatively free and uniform.expansion and contraction thereof. .l 2. A carpet consisting of a densebody `strip forrrii'i'd wholly of paper ofvsubstanv tial .thickness torender the same durable,

said strip being of double width and dem' orated on its obverse surface,a narrow reinforcing stiffening strip of suitable fabric fthe bodyconstituting with f. :1d-abutting margin of substantial strength, andan'additional rein- V forcingstiii'ening strip arranged intermediate ofthe edges of thevpaper body stripv adapted to be severed longitudinallywith the paper body strip, and constituting a guide for the severingoperation,- to constitute two strips'of usual width from the doublestrip, the intermediate portions .of the paper body strip throughouttheex; tent thereof bein devoid of supplemental' stiffening materia topermit relatively free and uniform expansion and contraction body'thereof. 3. A carpet consisting of a dense strip formed wholly loflpaper of substantial thickness to render thel same durable, and anarrow reinforcin stiening 'strip of suitable fabric secure to the bodyto give the samemadded rigidity and strength along .the line of thestiffening strip, said stiifening strip being transversely slitted toenable the structure toY accommodate itselfv to any relativedifferential shrinkage or expansion of the paper and fabric reinforcingstrip, and the major portion of the paper body strip throughout theextent thereof being devoid of sup lemental stiifening material topermit relatively free and uniform expansion and contraction thereof. vf In testimony whereof I- aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

, -GEORGE H. DAVIS. Witnesses:

ERNEST E. GownLL, LEONARD G. WEYMOUTH.

